Quick update and tip for childhood illness!

Nora is still doing fine on 3:1. We will step down to 2.75:1 next weekend, right after the last day of school and kindergarten graduation.

Last week Anders came down with strep throat, which was diagnosed very quickly. He got the pink liquid antibiotic of amoxicillin and was feeling better 24 hours later. We were on the look-out for another family member to fall ill, especially Nora.

I started feeling cruddy on Saturday, so I went to urgent care and took Nora with me even though she said she felt fine. They did throat swabs on both of us. The rapid tests came back negative, but Nora’s 24 hour culture came back positive (but not mine! I’m was feeling better the next day.)

Nora has not needed an antibiotic in over 2 years! We referred back to our illness preparedness plan post and found little guidance on how to deal with antibiotics. Ted went to the pharmacy to explain the situation, and thankfully the pharmacist was happy to work with us.

He explained that they mix powdered amoxicillin with the “pink stuff” right at the pharmacy but he did not have any information about the ingredients in the pink stuff. Instead of mixing, we took home plain capsules of amoxicillin. Dosage is 1 capsule in the morning, one at night. Nora doesn’t swallow large pills, so we open the capsule and mix the powder with a bit of yogurt. Nora doesn’t mind the taste, and this is a girl who has taken a lot of medicine mixed in stuff. She knows when it tastes bad and is not afraid to say so. Now we have 9 more days of morning and night doses and we are in the clear. Glad we caught this now so that she is healthy for kindergarten graduation!